Both Courageous & Dependent

For Christ’s glory, Paul delighted in all manner of weaknesses—insults, tough situations, and things that were incredibly difficult (2 Corinthians 12:10). It wasn’t that he loved those massive life challenges, but that in those he proved over and over that when he was weak, then he was strong. When his dependence on God was incessant and conscious, the power of Christ rested on him.

Not Hopeless

When his expression of weakness became his way of life, does that mean that he ended up in a helpless, hopeless heap? No way! As 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 spells out: Yes he was pressured, but in no way was he crushed. Was he perplexed? Yes. But by no means was he in despair. Was he persecuted? Yes, repeatedly. But he never felt abandoned by God. Was he struck down? Yes, many times. But by no means was he destroyed. He was down, but not out.

Why? Because when Paul was at his weakest when he expressed his complete dependence on God, the power of God kicked in. No matter how grim the situation was, by God’s all-sufficient grace, he never gave in to a feeling of hopelessness.

Not Spineless

When we acknowledge our weakness, does that mean we turn into spineless people, bereft of courage? Doesn’t Moses, when he was installing Joshua as the new leader of the people of Israel repeatedly say: Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9)? How does that fit in with this call for Paul to be weak? The key is that Moses’ wasn’t just saying, “toughen up.” He was reminding him to find his strength in God alone. The LORD your God will with you wherever you go was the way he put it (Joshua 1:9). That harmonizes with Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. Finally, he says, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).

What does that look like in real life? The life story of Joni Eareckson Tada constantly inspires me. She became a quadriplegic after a diving accident at age 17. Her wheelchair became a symbol of her weakness. Initially, it was a symbol of tragedy. Now she thanks God in her wheelchair. She says, “It’s a bruising of a blessing. A gift wrapped in black. It’s the shadowy companion that walks with me daily, pulling me and pushing me into the arms of my Saviour. And that’s where the joy is…

And that’s what weakness is. It is both a requirement and a result of Christ’s power. The Lord Jesus was saying to Paul, and to you and me today: “My power comes into its own, as you constantly express your weakness, and wait expectantly on my all-sufficient grace.

Excerpts from The Point of Your Thorns: Finding Purpose in Your Pain

By Rowland Forman